Tainted Tides

Chapter 16

*Third Person POV*

Gary sprinted through the barracks and burst through the door, with his fellow officers close on his heels.

"Declan!" He yelled, into the open air, unsure of when and how he had fallen off Dec's trail. Gary rounded the corner and ran through the walled-off fortress, cutting through the alleys to reach the central square, in hopes that he would find him. Along the way, Gary yelled for Declan, trying to find the boy he missed terribly, the boy he regretted never speaking to, all while ignorant to whom he would be alerting of his discovery.

Under the cover of the sycamore groves, the crew of 'The Silent Captain' slipped through the grates and made their silent, yet hasty escape. The navy officers littered the square in urgency, with confused looks directed at Gary. As Gary stopped, to catch his breath, he realized the crowd he'd attracted. Scanning the faces around him, it became clear that Declan was nowhere around. Realization hit him like a truck. Not only had he not found the boy he was chasing, but he had also alerted the entire navy of Declan's survival.

Gary had brought Declan back from the dead, and he had suspicions that some people wouldn't be too happy about it. A slender, brunette man emerged from the crowds, scowling at Gary and confirming his suspicions.

"Officer Gary, did you just say what I think you said?" Said, Mark.

Gary nodded slowly, failing to mask his apprehension.

Mark's glare hardened. He turned on his heels and paced into the largest building in the square, the Admiral's office, leaving Gary discombobulated in a crowd of his antsy peers.

Mark burst through various doors as he navigated his way to the admiral. Rage poured from his skin, leaving a trail of workers in unpleasant moods as if they'd inhaled a miserable miasma. Thoughts swirled in his head about how he thought he had gotten rid of Dec for good. It was his plan, after all, to send Dec off to die, thinking he had a chance. He stood in front of the large wooden doors, that served as a veil between himself and the admiral, and composed himself before entering.

He raised his fist and knocked slowly.

Knock

Knock

"Enter" A commanding voice beckoned from beyond the barrier. Mark obliged and stepped foot into the vast office, where he saw a short man sitting behind a large oak desk, busily writing on paper before him.

"Sir. It's Declan," Mark said, holding his voice steady.

The man behind the desk looked up at Mark, fury lighting his eyes ablaze. In a calm yet intimidating voice, he asked, "What do you mean... Declan is dead... Your plan saw to it that he would be..."

"Yes sir, umm... It seems he has somehow survived and is here... In Newcastle," Mark stuttered, his rage overcome by the fear of Admiral Donnelly's fury.

The Admiral slammed his pen on the table, shattering it and casting ink over the polished wood. "He is NOT my son, Anymore! He is your problem! Deal with him and whoever else helped him survive!" The admiral spoke in a thunderous voice, beyond the expectations of his small stature.

"Y-yes Sir," Mark said with a stutter, before bowing and swiftly exiting the chamber.

As he paced towards the exit, a single thought flooded his mind, "This time, I'll deal with him with my own two hands"

*******

*Dec's POV*

We managed to make it back to the ship unscathed, after the close call with Gary. As we ventured into the open sea, and over the horizon without seeing anyone trailing us, the entire crew relaxed.